Blazers: Rally squad does it again

AP photoBrandon Roy leads the Blazers to an impressive comeback win with 26 points on 9 of 19 shooting.

SAN ANTONIO -- It delivered 50 victories. It supplied a mammoth injection of road confidence at the perfect time. And it had significant implications in the race for home court advantage in the playoffs.

But, perhaps even more profound, the Trail Blazers' did-that-really-just-happen-again 95-83 comeback victory over the San Antonio Spurs delivered this Wednesday night:

"We talked before the game about establishing ourselves in this league as one of the up-and-coming teams and I felt like we needed to win this tonight (to do that)," Blazers coach Nate McMillan said. "And we did."

In another wild, almost unbelievable, performance that was eerily reminiscent of Tuesday night's comeback win over the Memphis Grizzlies, the Blazers recovered from a 19-point first-half deficit to earn one of their most impressive victories of the season.

The game had so many twists and turns and ensured so many positives for the Blazers, it's hard to detail them all. For openers, the victory enhanced their place in the Western Conference playoff standings and provided a boost to their chances of securing home court advantage in the playoffs.

With four games remaining in the season, the Blazers (50-28) moved into a three-way tie for third place in the West with the Spurs (50-28) and the Houston Rockets (50-28). The win -- which gave the Blazers their first season series victory over San Antonio since the 1999-00 season -- also gave the Blazers a tiebreaker over the Spurs should the teams end the season tied.

The Blazers also became the 10th team in franchise history to win at least 50 games and the first since 2002-03.

"(McMillan) said this is one of those games where everybody's going to be watching," All-Star Brandon Roy said. "It's a chance to show everybody ... we are coming and that was the message we're trying to get across. (McMillan said) 'You guys are establishing yourselves and this is one of those games where you can really take a step forward.' And we did that. We didn't shy away from it. We stepped up in a big game."

As impressive as the win was, the way the Blazers did it was equally stunning. The playoff-tested Spurs appeared as if they would obliterate the Blazers early on, when they shot a blistering 70.6 percent from the field in the first quarter and wreaked havoc defensively in building a 33-16 advantage.

But, one night after coming back from an 18-point deficit at Memphis, the Blazers slithered back into the game at the end of the first half, took the lead in the third quarter and ran the Spurs out of the gym in a fourth quarter that had the 18,797 spectators at the AT&T Center sprinting for the exits.

The Blazers first showed signs of life at the end of the first half, when they outscored the Spurs 13-2 over the final 2:16 to trim San Antonio's lead to 49-47. Steve Blake put the exclamation point on the rally by sinking a desperation buzzer-beater from the Spurs' center court logo.

From there, the younger Blazers showed more energy and spunk than their veteran counterparts. The Blazers took their first lead at 64-63 with just under four minutes remaining in the third and held the Spurs to one field goal the rest of the quarter -- and to just two field goals over the first 7:31 of the decisive fourth. San Antonio scored just 34 points in the second half.

Throughout the comeback, the Blazers displayed all of the elements that have made them a Western Conference contender. The two stars, Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge, were impressive and sometimes dominant. The bench, which contributed 35 points, was dynamic and clutch. And unsung veteran Joel Przybilla -- who finished with 17 rebounds -- was rugged in the middle against All-Star Tim Duncan, who played in the second game of a back to back for the first time since Feb. 10-11.

Aldridge, who had four points and zero rebounds in the first half, did his damage in the third, when he drained 7 of 9 shots and scored 14 points. He finished with 20 points, six rebounds, two steals and two assists. Roy, who kept the Blazers in the game early with 15 first-half points, finished with a game-high 26 points and six assists.

"It was a grind," McMillan said. "That is what the playoffs are going to be about. You have to play, you have to play hard, you have to play smart and you have to play together. And we got that from our guys tonight. And we beat a very good team tonight."

The win ended the Blazers' 11-game losing streak at San Antonio, which dates to Nov. 9, 2002. In that game, which seems light years in the past, Bonzi Wells led the team with 19points and Ruben Patterson had a team-high 12 rebounds.

Wednesday's victory also added to the Blazers' impressive collection of comebacks, delivering them their 17th win in a game in which they trailed by double digits. They also became the first NBA team since 2006 to win back to back games in which they trailed by at least 18 points. Dallas last accomplished the feat in February 2006.

"We're getting better and we're learning how to win," Aldridge said. "I think this team is growing up."

Notes: The Blazers improved to 2-13 on the road against the top nine teams in the Western Conference. ... Greg Oden made 4 of 5 field goals and finished with eight points and eight rebounds. ... Tony Parker, who entered the game averaging 26.0 points and 8.0 assists against the Blazers, had 17 points and seven assists. ... The Spurs waived former University of Oregon standout Malik Hairston on Wednesday. He averaged 3.3 points and 1.9 rebounds in 15 games for the Spurs this season. ... The Spurs fell to 11-6 in the second game of a back to back. The Blazers improved to 8-7 in such games.